BNP men clash with cops outside court
A Dhaka court today fixed September 10 for recording deposition of the complainant in connection with Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who was present at the courtroom today, has been asked to appear before the court on that day.
The former premier appeared before the Special Judge Court-3 of Judge Basudev Roy at 1:05pm and left around 1:45pm.
The court came up with the order in response to two petitions filed by a defence counsel seeking adjournment to the deposition.
In the petitions, Advocate Taherul Islam Towhid said they had earlier submitted four leave-to-appeal petitions with the Supreme Court challenging the legality of four High Court orders, which are now pending for hearing.
So, the lawyer prayed for an adjournment until the final hearing of the apex court completes.
On April 23, an HC bench scrapped two petitions, in which the BNP chairperson had challenged the charge framing against her in the cases.
Later on June 19, another HC bench rejected two writ petitions filed by Khaleda questioning the legality of appointment of Bashudev Roy as judge of the Special Judge’s Court-3 of Dhaka.
Roy indicted the BNP chief and the eight others in the corruption cases on March 19.
As Khaleda reached the court premises this afternoon, hundreds of leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations thronged the court premises to welcome her. They chanted slogans demanding Khaleda’s acquittal of the charges.
They threw brick chips at the law enforcers soon after Khaleda entered the courtroom.
In reply, police lobbed tear shells and charged batons to disperse the BNP workers and supporters, triggering a clash that spread in and around the area.
Three police men were injured during the clash, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mehedi Hasan claimed.
Meanwhile, BNP has declared to bring out processions in all metropolitan cities and district headquarters except Dhaka tomorrow protesting the ‘police action’.
BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi this evening announced the programme at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.
Khaleda today appeared before the court in compliance with its July 27 order.
On that day, the judge asked the BNP chief to appear before the court today in the two cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission cases against Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and seven others.
Of the nine accused, Khaleda and four others are now on bail. Tarique, also vice-chairman of BNP, is also on bail in the Orphanage Trust graft case but his lawyer represented him in his absence. Three accused remain absconding.
ZIA ORPHANAGE GRAFT CASE
The ACC in July 2009 filed the Zia Orphanage graft case against Khaleda, her elder son and BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman and four others for embezzling over Tk 2.1 crore by forming the “fake” trust.
The four other accused are former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Momenur Rahman, nephew of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.
ZIA CHARITABLE TRUST GRAFT CASE
The ACC on August 8 in 2011 filed the Zia charitable graft case against Khaleda and three others for abusing power in setting up the charity.
The three other accused are Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda’s former political secretary, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) of Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
Harris, Momenur and Kamal Uddin are absconding in the two cases.
Source: The Daily Star
